Low Sodium Juices – Why You Need Them

In this article we will explore the role that sodium plays in human body and why it is so important to drink low sodium juices if you want to have a healthy and balanced nutrition.

Sodium (Na) is a chemical element that occurs naturally in a lot of foods. However, common kitchen salt (sodium chloride – NaCl) is probably the best known reservoir of sodium for the body. A great number of unprocessed, fresh foods, for example, a lot of types of fresh fruits and vegetables, integral grains, as well as protein rich nutrients, like lean meats, poultry, and fish are actually pretty low in sodium content. This list also includes garlic, onion, parsley, paprika, honey, skim milk, yogurt, soy milk, tea, cottage cheese and other ingredients.

Why do we need sodium?

The human body needs certain amounts of sodium in order to function properly. Our body contains electrolytes – chemical substances that become ions in solutions and are capable of conducting electric impulses. The balance of electrolytes in our organism is essential for the proper functioning on cellular level. Sodium is an important electrolyte.

Therefore, sodium helps in maintaining the proper balance of liquids in our bodies and it has an impact on the transmission of nerve impulses. Sodium also has a say in the process of muscle contractions.

Why is too much sodium bad?

Our kidneys are organs of the body that control the concentration of sodium. If we increase our sodium levels, the kidneys discharge the excess sodium via the urine. If we don’t take in enough sodium, the kidneys will retain the already present sodium. So, actually if we never looked at our daily sodium intake, we would probably be OK, as long as our kidneys perform their useful functions and we maintain our normal nutrition.

But if we keep taking in too much sodium, or if the kidneys are not functioning properly, this nutrient will start accumulating in the blood, attracting water, and causing high blood pressure. Furthermore, if we are obese and have 40 plus years of age, it will probably be a good idea to start thinking about how to regulate our sodium intake.

How much sodium do we need?

The recommended daily requirement for sodium is about 1,500 mg. Everything that goes up to 2,300 mg per day is considered a safe sodium intake. This value is also the maximum recommended daily sodium intake. However, on average, American people consume about 4,000 mg of sodium daily, which is well above the recommended values.

That is why low sodium diet, and, in particular, low sodium juices, are important for a healthy and balanced life.

To illustrate the amount of sodium in juices, here is a list of vegetables and fruits along with their serving sizes and the corresponding sodium content.

Note how almost all veggies and fruits have low sodium concentration, provided that they are fresh and natural. For example one small Tomato has 11 mg of sodium. In contrast, 3/4 cup canned tomato juice has 660 mg of sodium.

Food

Serving Size

Milligrams/Sodium

Asparagus

6 spears

10

Avocado

1/2 medium

10

Apple

1 large

2

Fresh apple juice

1 cup

7

Apricots

1 large

2

Beans, green

1 cup

4

Beets

1 cup

84

Broccoli, raw

1 cup

24

Banana

1 large

2

Carrot

1 large

40

Celery

1 stalk raw

35

Cucumber

sliced

2

Eggplant, raw

1 cup

2

Grapes

1 cup

2

Grape juice

1 cup

7

Grapefruit

1

1

Grapefruit juice

1 cup

7

Lettuce

1 leaf

2

Lima beans

1 cup

5

Mushrooms

1 cup

4

Mustard

1

24

Onions

1 cup

5

Peas

1 cup

4

Orange

1 large

2

Orange juice

1 cup

2

Peach

1

0

Radishes

10

11

Spinach

1 cup

42

Raisins

1 cup

18

Strawberries

1 cup

2

Watermelon

1 cup

3

Squash, acorn

1 cup

8

Sweet potato

1

24

Tomato

1

22

Tomato juice, canned

3/4 cup

660

Preparing vs Purchasing Low Sodium Juices

V8 low sodium juice contains only 140 mg of Na per serving

In case you are not up to preparing your own home made juices, there is an alternative – the V8 low sodium vegetable juice. Apart from the “normal” V8 juices, a few years ago a low sodium variation of V8 vegetable juice was introduced. It is a healthy, refreshing combination of the following eight vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, beets, parsley, spinach, celery, lettuce, and watercress. This juice contains very useful ingredients, while at the same time keeping the sodium content at 140 mg per 8 oz. serving. You can drink this 8 ounce cup of V8 which tastes great and still not feel stuffed.

Apart from sodium, one serving of V8 vegetable juice with only 50 calories contains 820 mg of Potassium, and plenty of Vitamin A, C, Iron, and Calcium.

Your best shot should be preparing low sodium juices by yourself. You can use a good juice maker, and then, drink the juices immediately after they have been prepared. Such juices, as they are not pasteurized, contain all the beneficial natural nutrients, enzymes and Vitamins. If you want to purchase low sodium juices, then you will have to settle for some fully or partly pasteurized juices, such as V8. Whenever you can, though, go for the natural home made juices.

Low sodium juices are highly recommended over the regular juices. Also if you go for the V8 vegetable juices, choose the low sodium version. Please note that the low sodium V8 vegetable juice, although quite delicious, actually tastes somewhat differently than the ordinary V8 juices. Cheers.

There is no substitute for making your own juices. Period. As much as the V8 juices are great, all natural, without additives, etc., the fact that they have to be pasteurized in order to find their way to the supermarket shelves makes them somewhat less healthy an alternative. But if you don’t want to take the time needed to prepare home made juices, then, the next best thing would be buying V8 or similar juices.

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